New MINT Gift Card brings relief to present-hunting woes

According to new research from financial services company MINT, far from being happy to be simply remembered, one fifth (22 per cent) of ungrateful Brits will give away a present they receive. A similar amount will recycle it by waiting for the next suitable celebration to offload on to another (20 per cent).

Thankfully, MINT is helping exhausted present hunters and their perturbed recipients break the cycle of unwanted gifts with the launch of the new MINT Gift Card.

Unlike similar products currently on the market, the MINT Gift Card does not incur fees or charges when a transaction is made - just a simple £3 fee on actual purchase of the card itself. Visa Electron enabled, the Gift Card proves more versatile than a one-store gift voucher, yet still more personal than cash. The recipient has the freedom to go shopping at his/her favourite shops whether on the high street, overseas or on the web - wherever Visa Electron is accepted.

Equipped with a magnetic strip, the recipient’s name can be lasered on to the front of the card along with a personal message and there is necessity for the back of product to carry the cardholder’s signature. The MINT Gift Card can be bought online and preloaded with money denominations between £10-£250, (incremental in units of £1). It is available for purchase for all UK credit or debit cardholders over the age of 16 – not just MINT cardholders.

Once the recipient has activated the card and started to make use of it, they can easily keep track of every transaction made by a text service or by calling a specially dedicated phone-line. Plus, if the card is accidentally lost or stolen, the cardholder can simply call MINT who will close the account immediately and issue a replacement card containing whatever balance is left at the time of cancellation.

Jerry Toher, Managing Director of MINT said:“Over one in ten (12 per cent) Brits cite disappointment when tearing off a parcel’s wrappings. The MINT Gift Card has been designed to counter this, making it easy for shoppers looking for a suitable gift. Remembering someone’s birthday or a special occasion is hassle enough without the added worry of what to get them as well.”

When purchasing the MINT Gift Card, buyers can decide to get the card posted to the chosen recipient, or sent directly to the purchaser in order to hand deliver. Either way, MINT can email the intended recipient on whichever date chosen to let them know they are the lucky receiver of a MINT Gift Card.

Still to catch on to the hint-dropping techniques associated with women, this new innovation could prove especially handy to those buying for a man. The MINT research found a tenth more men suggesting they would prefer to chose a present themselves than receive a surprise, (35 per cent of men: 26 per cent of women).